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New Clio Cup Orders Soar Past Fifty In First Month |
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Tuesday, 29 August 2006 |
A total of 53 deposits have been placed with Renault Sport UK for its New Clio Cup racer, which will be used in the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup. Just one month after its launch at Donington Park on Saturday, 29th July, the 2.0-litre 205bhp car has attracted unprecedented interest from current Clio Cup teams and newcomers in equal measure.
On the night of the launch at the British Touring Car Championship meeting, a series to which the Clio Cup provides two action-packed support races, 28 deposits were received. The total was boosted by the commitment of reigning Entrants Champion Total Control Racing and former Clio Cup competitors Mark Fish Motorsport and Double Six Racing.
Since then, Mardi Gras Motorsport and Z Speed Racing, which runs the winner of the last two Clio Cup races Martin Byford (Colchester), have joined the list of current teams confirming their interest in the new racer. Aggregate Industries, which sponsors current Clio Cup driver Robert Lawson, have also placed a deposit.
The remaining deposits for the £20,500 + VAT car have been placed by teams or individuals who will
make their debut in Clio Cup racing. Two BTCC teams have placed
deposits in the form of Mike Jordan’s Team Eurotech who have ordered
two cars and James Hughes’ Kartworld Racing has ordered one.
Chris Panayiotou began this season in the Britcar series and has
previously raced gearbox karts and radicals. Harry Vaulkhard and Tom
Boardman are considering a switch from the SEAT Cupra Cup, while Robert
Gaffney will join from the Junior Ginetta Championship.
Two deposits have been placed by Momo UK with one of the cars earmarked
for Robert Brown who is currently lying second in the SaxMax
Championship and will join Liam McMillan in joining the Clio Cup in
2007. Simon Howard, who races in the 750 Stock Hatch Championship, has
also placed a deposit for one car.
Currently there is no limit to the number of New Clio Cup cars that can
be ordered and deposits will continue to be taken until the end of this
season. The current proposed schedule is to order the cars from the
Renault Sport factory in Dieppe in December, with teams receiving the
cars in the new year ahead of the 2007 season.
Commenting on the fresh wave of interest in New Clio Cup, Championship
Manager Simon North said: “The launch of the car was hugely successful
and it’s great to see that more teams and drivers have registered their
interest with us over the past weeks. It is refreshing to see more of
our current teams continuing to support the Championship as well as
welcoming new faces in at this exciting time.
“Clio Cup racing has always been about serious racing with a fun
element and the reaction to the new racer suggests that this is what
people in motorsport love. We have enjoyed seven fantastic years with
the current car and hope the racing with the new car will be just as
thrilling for drivers and fans.”
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 January 2007 )
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